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GOSHEN, Ind. - A dance off, 3-point shootout, dunk competition, and a chance at winning $10,000 cash were a few of the energetic games, activities, and entertainment offered last Thursday night at Purple and White Night.

The first-annual event - the formal introduction of the 2008-09 Goshen College basketball team - was designed to provided support and fired up campus for this year's upcoming basketball season.

Two students in particular showed their school spirit by painting themselves purple from the waist up. Underclassmen Peter Miller and Nathaniel Tann came up with the idea when their resident director, Jake Shipe, sent an email notifying the dormitory residents that he had extra paint left from the Purple Passion Party, a previous Goshen College event.

"We thought it would be a good idea to get coated up [in purple paint]," said Miller, "because we had never done that before and the Purple and White night seemed like a good opportunity."

Students showing their support dressed in purple and white entered the Roman Gingerich Recreational-Fitness Center to find free pizza and shirts after which began the Resident Assistant knockout challenge.

The women's basketball team kicked off the entertainment portion of the night with an introduction to each team member followed by a brief team dance to music blearing over the loud speaker. This was followed by more entertainment provided by the men's team as they displayed their dancing skills.

A preview of what is to come in this years Goshen basketball season was shown in two brief six-minute scrimmages, in which defense was minimal and action was high.

More action followed as members of both squads faced off in a 3-point contest. With seniors Krystal Duensing and Bryce Bow facing off in the finals, Duensing jumped to a huge early lead. Bow caught fire late - hitting five in a row at one point - and tied the score with just a second on the clock. But Duensing had one last shot in her and it got nothing but net as she won in dramatic fashion as her team and the crowd erupted with cheers.

Up next was the much-anticipated men's slam-dunk contest.

One dunk after another escalated the excitement as fans cheered on each contestant. With players using costumes, props (even pulling fans out of the stands), and parts of the Recreation-Fitness Center most didn't even know existed, a panel of celebrity judges - including Goshen College President James E. Brenneman - had a difficult task in judging the competitors.

After a tremendous display of talent, sophomore forward Carl Steen from South Bend bagged the competition, receiving high scores all across the judging panel for consistency and style.

The night came to a close with a raffle drawing to see who would attempt to make a basket at half court and claim a prize of $10,000 in cash. Though he won the drawing, underclassmen Jeffrey Gouker fell short of the winning basket in his valiant toss.

The display of energy and talent at Purple and White Night promises for an exciting season with strong support from a fired up student body. The Leafs begin their basketball season at home when the women face Purdue University - Calumet, followed by the men's team as they go head-to-head with Indiana University - South Bend.

-By Brandon Long
GC Sports Information